Board Member or BM Jovy started his political career way back in 2001 when he first ran for a seat in the City Council of Balanga. With Banzon as his surname and Zabala as his middle name, one would say that despite being a neophyte, he will not have a hard time getting a seat in the council. Well, indeed he won a seat, but as a “cliffhanger” placing 10th. When he ran again for his second term, he placed 4th and on his third term, he placed 2nd. Suffice it to say, that he practically worked his way up in his political career, and did not just rely on the “name recall” strategy, considering the fact that politics runs in his blood; his late dad, Aveto “Bening” Banzon was a former board member of the province (ABC president) and his maternal grandfather, a Zabala was also a former municipal councilor of Balanga.
After “graduating” in the city council, he was offered to run for Board Member in the second district of Bataan where he ranked 2nd. In his second term, he ranked 1st and during the May 2016 elections, he ranked first again.
The youngest and the only son in a brood of four, BM Jovy started managing the Space Cable Network in 1994, when he was a fresh advertising graduate from UST, a position he held for 18 years.
Coming from a family of politicians, BM Jovy was exposed to public service way before he tried his hands in politics. His being a member, then president and now a member of the board of directors of the Bataan Christian Youth Civic Circle (BCYCC), played a major role in his dedication to public service and in pursuing his humanitarian advocacies.
The BCYCC is supported by an international Buddhist organization, the RISSHO KOSEI KAI, engaged in numerous campaigns to end hunger and poverty and promotes world peace and religious, cultural, scientific and educational endeavors.
As Chairman of the Committee on Finance, Budget, Appropriations and Ways and Means at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, not to mention the other committees where he is either a vice chairman or a member, BM Jovy’s hands are full so to speak, enough to cause him so much stress and make him look haggard and older than his age.
Surprisingly, BM Jovy seems to have found the fountain of youth or if not, what is his secret then? The ever jovial BM Jovy retorted, “Life is short, so why would I allow myself to be stressed?” How does he do it? “I see to it that I spend plenty of quality time with my family. You see we are a closely knit family. Although the Banzons and the Zabalas are big clans, my immediate family is small but it is where I find solace”.
“Driving has a calming effect on me. When I feel that there is already so much “heat in the kitchen”, I go out and drive and I feel relaxed, recharged, ready to face the challenges again”. It is not really traveling that I love, but maybe the change in environment, the sceneries that I see when driving. Funny that city people go to the provinces to unwind, while in my case, I go to the city to unwind by meeting old friends, classmates, acquaintances.”
When asked how he would describe himself, he said: “I am a simple man, I live one day at a time and leave everything to the hands of the Lord. I reward myself with simple pleasures and find contentment in what I have. When I am faced with challenges, I spend time alone, to pray, to contemplate, and have that inner peace. More often than not, it is when we are alone that we see things in a better perspective.
When asked how he would like to be remembered by the people, he was quick to reply: Honestly, I don’t have any idea. I leave it all up to the people to remember me the way they would like to”. This man has mastered the art of simplifying complex things.
Right now, BM Jovy is focused on his advocacies and in supporting the administration in its vision of providing a better if not the best quality of life for the Bataeños.
Towards the end of the exclusive interview of this jovial yet elusive lawmaker, he mentioned that having served as vice governor for almost a year in an acting capacity was both an honor and a privilege for him. By the way, he is elusive in the sense that he doesn’t have a Facebook account!!!
BM Jovy, granting us this exclusive interview was likewise an honor and a privilege to this writer and to 1Bataan! To us, you will always be that unassuming yet profound BM with a contagious jovial spirit. Thank you and God speed!
